Tag: blogging

Ready for Christmas

~ Veselin ~ 2 Comments

I’m one of many Bulgarians who like to celebrate things with grilled kebapcheta. We adopted the Christmas Markets from the Germans but added our twist – kufte, kebapche, turshia, and high prices, instead of bratwurst and super-high prices. Get your small Coca Cola for 2 euro and you’re ready to board your sled to Laplandia. I already switched to this diet about a month ago, although the food comes from less fancy places.

I visited 3 Christmas markets during my morning walk, NDK, the National Theater, and Knyazhevska Gradina. The first was covered by healthy smoke, the other two were still closed, most likely because I visited them too early in the morning.

I plan testing these booths next week as we’ll have the Christmas Book Fair in the big building at the back of my photos (NDK). I do not need any books but this event attracts me like like a magnet, and I hope the kebapcheta will come with it.

The OC by D.P. Lyle, Book Review

~ Veselin ~ Leave a comment

A solid story about a stalker who is unusually creepy and perhaps more dangerous than the million others like him. A beautiful journalist receives threats and unwanted advances, like flowers and chocolates, combined with threats. The detective trio Jake, Nicole, and Pancake are trying to help because they see the danger past the weird acts of attention. However, they have trouble figuring out who he is. This type of people normally physically chase their victims, while in our case, the perpetrator hides in the shadows.

I guessed who the villain was maybe five pages before the official reveal, so I’m not sure whether to feel proud of myself or not.

The book has a certain neon glow and the intentional smell of cheap things, like an exploitation movies from the past. It doesn’t feel too heavy, despite the constant threat of the stalker. I’d say it’s fine and an acceptable read. Not award-winning rocket science but not annoying either. Jake, Nicole, and Pancake are simple and well-intended characters.

I’m not sure why only parts 1, 2, and 5 of the series have been translated into Bulgarian while 3 and 4 were skipped. A strange choice by the publisher. It’s even stranger to translate a book that had the modest 199 ratings and 37 reviews on Goodreads, mine included. Won’t be the least popular book I read this year but it will be very close to the bottom.

4/5, straight to the overflow shelf.

A Slip in the Daily Steps Average

~ Veselin ~ 6 Comments

I slipped on my 10K-steps goal for November, despite having two additional weekend days in the month. I found it quite difficult to maintain the average and eventually didn’t make it. The weather, knee pain, lots of work, zero hiking, a couple of emergencies, and several low-energy days all contributed. At least WordCamp Sofia was good.